What are some Pennsylvania dog laws?

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Pennsylvania dog laws address licensing, service dogs, kennels, adoptions and sterilization, notes Michigan State University's Animal Legal and Historical Center. Several statutes cover the state's authority to seize and dispose of certain dogs, such as those with rabies. Pennsylvania's dangerous dog law states that anyone who sees a dog chasing or hurting an animal or a person may kill the dog without incurring any liability.

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Pennsylvania law requires owners of dogs older than three months to purchase a license, explains the Animal Legal and Historical Center. Licenses cannot be transferred, and they are issued annually or for the dog's lifetime. Service and police dogs must be licensed, but their owners don't pay the usual fee. Pennsylvania requires kennel owners to obtain a license, and their facilities must follow certain guidelines that ensure the dogs' health and safety. Anyone who adopts a dog older than six months must have it spayed or neutered within 60 days.

Pennsylvania dog bite statutes recognize two types of victim, based on the severity of the injury and the dog's history, explains Nolo. A person who is severely injured by a dog with no history of biting may sue the dog's owner as long as the dog was not provoked. The owner of a dog with a history of aggressive behavior may face criminal misdemeanor charges if it injures someone.